This post may contain affiliate links, view our disclosure policy.
“Are we there yet?” road trip goodie bags will be the solution that you’re looking for to fight boredom on your next family road trip!
Quite possibly the most simple and easy fix to keep kids occupied during long-haul car rides, road trip activity bags will keep your kids entertained when the hours on the road seem endless.
Keep the surprises coming with easy-to-assemble road trip goodie bags!
Some of the links on this page are affiliate links. By clicking on them, I may receive a small commission at no extra charge to you.
Road Trip Goodie Bags: Who are they good for?
Containing snacks, trinkets, printable games, and activities, “Are we there yet?” road trip goodie bags are the perfect addition to adding fun and pizazz to a classic family road trip.
In addition, road trip goodie bags are good for children of any age!
At the time of our first epic road trip, our 3 boys were ages 7, 10, and 12. Though our 10 and 12- year-olds wouldn’t have normally played with trinkets or dollar store arts and crafts, in comes the exception!
All 3 of our children, despite their ages, were fascinated by the road trip goodie bags given to them in the form of a ‘gift’ along a boring stretch of Interstate.
Those of you with younger children will need to substitute age-appropriate snacks and toys.
Likewise, parents of girls vs. boys may choose to add in some gender-specific trinkets.
Alternatively, consider adding Itunes gift cards, books, magazines, and sugary snacks suitable for tweens and teens.
In other words, go with the general idea of these road trip goodie bags and add things that will excite you and your kids!
Additional planning tip: For the most successful, grumbling-free adventure, combine the use of these activity bags with my Top 10 Tips for a Family Road Trip.
Likewise, because traveling with kids ages 1 – 4 presents its own set of ‘challenges’, read up on these toddler-specific road trip activities that are sure to keep them preoccupied!
Click the following image to get your FREE family vacation packing list and BONUS Disney Day Bag packing list that is both customizable and printable!
Road Trip Goodie Bags: How much should I spend?
Each and every one of the following items
They are basically ‘in-the-moment-sanity savers’.
In other words, nothing don’t buy anything fancy or expensive.
I made 18 bags for each of our 3 children. 9 bags for the way to our destination, and 9 bags for the return trip home.
Each bag contains 2 or 3 Dollar Store items with the exception of a few activity bags that contained more expensive items.
Additional planning tip: The total cost for our 54 “Are we there yet?” road trip activity bags was $90.00.
“Are We There Yet?” Road Trip Goodie Bags
“Are we there yet bags” are intended to be small surprises to give your children throughout the duration of an extended road trip.
They do not replace healthy snacks and meals that should be alternated with the candy and treats mentioned below.
Instead, refer to a reliable road trip food list for healthy meal and snack ideas when traveling.
Select bags based on their portability and size, and be sure to purchase treat bags that children cannot see through.
Likewise, buy enough bags to give to your children every 30 minutes to 1-hour throughout the duration of your family road trip.
1. Notebooks, markers, and stickers
Notebook of plain white drawing paper and a fresh new pack of markers. Insert some stickers for a little something extra.
2. Hand-held pinball game
Hand-held pinball game and a snack-size treat. Perfect to keep small hands busy!
3. Portable dry erase board
Travel size dry erase board and sweet and salty snack mix (or other fun snack!).
Everyone loves a good dry-erase board, but be careful, some of the markers’ ink are hard to get out of clothing.
4. Party favors
Why not have a party in the car?
Colorful party favors can be used as a small, fun toy. Add in some gum to keep the kids extra occupied!
5. Minnie Mouse chapstick and Minnie snack bags
Purchase themed-baggies to make individual portions of various snacks. Accompany the themed bags with a coordinating toy or accessory!
Pick and choose the characters of your choice.
6. Word search puzzle book and multi-colored pen
Help pass time in the car by playing road trip word games that involve family interaction and fun!
For silent play, purchase age-appropriate word search puzzle books, crossword puzzle books, or Sodoku puzzle books.
They may not be exciting for kids, per se, but they sure do pass a huge chunk of time!
7. Travel size play dough
Travel size playdough and a sweet treat that perhaps they have never had before!
Bypass this activity if you’re worried that your children are too small to use playdough without getting it all over the seats’ upholstery.
8. Punch balloons or bubbles
Punch balloons or bubbles are a great idea for a pit stop or roadside activity when everyone is needing to get a little energy out!
9. Felt-art or other coloring Kit with a sweet treat
Pre-packaged art kits are an awesome road trip activity and a perfect addition to your road trip goodie bags!
Because these are something that children are not always exposed to, opening this will be a sweet surprise.
10. Glow stick necklaces for nighttime travel
Kids love nighttime travel! Seeing the surrounding citys’ lights is always so fascinating to little ones.
Build on their excitement by gifting them with their own light bracelets or necklaces.
11. Bubble-Goo bubble blower
Insert any off trinket of your choice here. Though I typically don’t like trinkets laying around the house, they’re a perfect match for fighting road trip boredom!
12. Themed crayons and a marching snack-bag treat
How cute are these themed Ziplock baggies?
Check out every square inch of your local dollar store to find these and other clever dollar store items that are perfect for kids!
13. Sporty water bottle and water flavoring
Our kids get a kick out of adding their own flavoring to plain-ol’ water.
For added fun, they love to switch flavors and add more than one flavor to their water bottles to make their own flavor varieties.
Though this is a great addition to your road trip goodie bags, be sure to gift the water bottle when a restroom break is up and coming.
14. Balloons to blow-up and bop around
Another great pit-stop activity! Watch for small pieces around little ones, however, as balloons are known to be a choking hazard.
15. Squish-able bubble wrap and collector cards
A genius, but noisy way to beat road trip boredom!
Who doesn’t love popping bubble wrap? Especially when given your own small supply that is just enough to get under Mom and Dad’s nerves?
Pair this activity with a quieter option, like collector cards such as Pokemon’ or sports cards.
16. Color activity book and a calculator for pushing buttons and computing fun
Kids love pushing calculator buttons, especially when it’s not because they’re doing homework.
Dollar store calculators and coloring books are an inexpensive way to keep kids happy while on the road.
17. Putty, slime, or anything gooey!
You may cringe at the thought of a potential mess, but your kids will indeed have loads of fun with a hand-sized amount of putty of slime to keep them occupied.
Find a unique fluffy slime recipe here!
18. A destination-appropriate travel cup (Disney!)
Where ya headed? Stir up the excitement for your ending point by adding in some toys and trinkets that pertain to your destination.
Disney paraphanelia for a Disney vacation, hiking supplies for a National Park vacation, or sand toys for a beach vacation. Your options are endless!
There ya have it!
Easy peasy road trip goodie bags and surprise treats that can be customized per child!
Trust me, they will keep the kids entertained for hours!
What road trip activity is your favorite way to help pass time? Thanks for responding!
Jen
If you liked this post on 18 ideas for Road Trip Goodie Bags, click here to check out our Related Posts:
- Words Games to Play in the Car With Kids
- Road Trip Food List and 9 Essential Travel Food Tips
- Road Trip Activities for Toddlers: Best Tips and Hacks
- Top 10 Family Road Trip Tips That Are A Lifesaver!
- Family Vacation Packing Tips: How to Pack Like A Pro
- Top 16 Tips For Flying With Kids (& Strategies to Keep Them Calm and Happy)
*Before leaving, be sure to check our Travel Resources Page to find exclusive travel discounts and to book hotels, rental cars, and guided tours.*
I can’t wait to use these ideals the next time we take a trip. My son is 12 so I thought of even other ideals I can add to the bags.
Yay! I’m glad you came up with some fun ideas! Our oldest is 13 years-old and, yes, it is still fun picking out stuff for him too 🙂